CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Only one game remains in the regular season for No. 5 Harvard field hockey, as the Crimson face Ivy League rival No. 20 Yale on Saturday, Oct. 31.

Push back is scheduled for 1:00 p.m., as admission to Berylson Field is free of charge. All the action between the Crimson and Bulldogs will air live on ESPN+.

CRIMSON UPDATES

• Harvard brings a 14-1 record to this weekend's contest against Yale, as the Crimson won its second-straight Ivy League regular season title last weekend, marking only the second time in program history that Harvard won consecutive Ivy League titles.
• The Crimson's 12-game winning streak is the longest active winning streak in the nation.
• In a trip to the Big Apple, Harvard secured the Ivy League title and the right to host the 2026 Ivy League Tournament with a 4-0 shutout win against Columbia. Junior midfielder Martha le Huray scored the opening goal, as junior midfielder and team Tilly Butterworth, sophomore forward Lucy Barker and senior forward Sage Piekarski all added goals as well.
• Harvard then headed back to Berylson Field for its last nonconference matchup of the regular season against No. 20 Monmouth. After falling behind early in the first quarter against the Hawks, first-year forward Evie Smith leveled the scoreboard, as le Huray netted her second game-winning goal of the weekend in the second quarter. First-year defender Elin van Sante put the game out of reach with her second goal of the season in the second half.
• A native of Teddington, England, le Huray finished last weekend with two goals, two assists and six points, earning Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week honors for the first time this year.
• An All-America selection last year, Piekarski has recorded at least one point in eight consecutive contests, leading the team in goals (10) and points (24) this year.
• Nationally, Harvard ranks third in penalty corners per game (8.60) and sixth in goals against average (0.84).
• Butterworth and senior midfielder Lara Beekhuis are the Crimson's team captains this year, as the duo has combined for 12 goals, three assists and 27 points this season.
• Head coach Tjerk van Herwaarden is in his 14^th season leading the Crimson, as the five-time Ivy League Coach of the Year is 180-70 in his coaching career.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS

• Yale is 12-2 this season, as the Bulldogs bring a seven-game winning streak to Cambridge this weekend.
• Last weekend started with a 2-0 win for Yale against Penn, as the Bulldogs hit the road for a 4-1 victory against Quinnipiac in Hamden, Connecticut.
• Junior forward Chiara Picciafuoco leads Yale in goals (10) and points (27) this year.

SERIES HISTORY

• Saturday's Halloween showdown represents the 54^th contest in the all-time series between Harvard and Yale, as the Crimson lead the series, 31-15-7.
• The Crimson owns a 12-game winning streak against the Bulldogs, as Yale's last win arrived during the 2012 season.
• Harvard capped off the first perfect season in Ivy League history in the last meeting, as the Crimson earned a 2-1 win in New Haven, Connecticut with a brace from Piekarski. 

REWRITING THE RECORD BOOK

• Over the course of her storied career with the Crimson, Piekarski is leaving her mark in Cambridge.
• Across 76 appearances, Piekarski owns 43 goals and 13 assists, as her 99 points ranks fourth in school history. With one more point, Piekarski would become the fourth student-athlete in school history to eclipse 100 career points.
• A native of Concord, Massachusetts, Piekarski is only five goals away from breaking the all-time career goal scoring record of 47 goals set by Marissa Balleza '17.

LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES

• Harvard's defense of van Sante, senior Smilla Klas, junior Paige Cornelius and senior Charlotte Casiraghi are excelling at limiting shots taken by opponents this year.
• Across 15 matches, Harvard is only allowing 6.1 shots per game, the lowest tally per game since the 2018 season when Harvard allowed 5.8 shots per game. Harvard has allowed less than 10 shots on 13 different occasions this year.
• This is translating to success on the defensive end, as Harvard ranks sixth in goals against average (0.84) nationally.

IMMEDIATE IMPACT

• First-years are already making an impact on the pitch for the Crimson this year.
• A starter in the attack for all 15 matches this year,  Smith is tied for fourth on the team with 10 points, scoring four goals and dishing out two assists. Smith scored in back-to-back win against No. 5 Wake Forest and Cornell. In the shootout triumphs against Northeastern and No. 8 Princeton, Smith successfully converted both of her chances.
• In the backline, Smith is leading a Crimson defense that ranks sixth nationally in goals against average (0.84). Scoring two goals and contributing three assists this year, van Sante earned Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in her career After anchoring tremendous defensive efforts against Dartmouth and Northeastern.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

• Since the 2024 season, Harvard is thriving in true road contests.
• Harvard owns a 20-game winning streak in away matches, marking the longest active road winning streak in the Ivy League.
• This year, the Crimson is 5-0 on the road, owning a +13-goal differential in those matches.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

• Everyone is making an impact for the Harvard attack this year, as nine different Crimson have scored goals this year.
• In the last six outings, at least three different Crimson have scored a goal in each match, showcasing the versatility of the Harvard offense.
• Harvard leads the Crimson in both goals scored (40) and goal differential (+27).

IRON SHARPENS IRON

• Scheduling top-tier nonconference foes is a key principle for the Crimson this year.
• Harvard is 5-1 against teams inside the top 20 of the NCAA's Field Hockey RPI.
• The Crimson defeated UConn, 1-0, in September, representing Harvard's highest-ranked RPI win.

CARDIAC CRIMSON

• Prevailing in narrow decisions is a major theme for Harvard across the 2026 season.
• Harvard is 5-0 in one-goal games this year, as the Crimson went 6-1 in contests decided by a single goal last year.
• Earlier this season, Harvard defeated Northeastern and Princeton in consecutive matches via shootout, marking the first time in program history that Harvard won back-to-back games that went to shootout.

POLL POSITION

• Harvard is No. 5 in the latest iteration of the Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association's National Coaches Poll and No. 4 in the NCAA's RPI rankings. The Crimson is the highest ranked Ivy League side in the Penn Monto/NFHCA National Coaches Poll and the NCAA's RPI Rankings.
• The Crimson is in the top 10 of the Penn Monto/NFHCA National Coaches Poll for a 21^st straight week, representing the longest streak in program history.
• Harvard is 5-1 against ranked teams this year, highlighted with wins against No. 9 UConn, No. 8 Princeton, No. 5 Wake Forest, No. 11 Syracuse and No. 20 Monmouth. The Crimson's win against the Demon Deacons was the first against a top five team since 2024.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

• Dating back to the 2016 season, Harvard is maintaining a 104-game winning streak against unranked foes.
• The last loss against an unranked opponent arrived on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, a 3-1 defeat against UMass.
• During the 2025 season, Harvard went 9-0 against unranked teams. This year, Harvard is 7-0 against unranked programs.

UP NEXT

Harvard embarks on its postseason journey on Friday, Nov. 6, as the Crimson host the 2026 Ivy League Field Hockey Tournament.

For all the latest on Harvard Field Hockey, follow the Crimson on Twitter (@HarvardFH) and Instagram (@harvardfieldhockey).